Of Mice And Sweets
by FaithinBones
Summary: Sweets thinks that Brennan is afraid of snakes and wants to help her.  She doesn't want his help. He wants to help anyways. There are usually consequences when you irritate Brennan.
1. Chapter 1

Of Mice and Sweets

DorothyOz wanted me to do a sequel to "Clowns Are Not My Thing". Here it is. You don't have to read that story to read this one. All you have to know is that Sweets is afraid of mice, not that he'll admit that.

I don't own Bones.

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Brennan had been examining the corpse lying in the barn, when Brennan noticed Booth take a stick and poke at the canvas bag laying a foot from the body. Curious, Brennan stood up and watched her partner's antics. Hooking the strap by the end of the stick, Booth lifted up the bag and then moved it about a foot from where it had originally lay and then dropped it. Booth then stepped a little closer to where the bag had originally been and moved the stick back and forth in the hay. Smiling, Booth nodded his head and leaned over to pick up what looked like a painted stick, until the stick started thrashing around.

Leaping back, Brennan said, "Booth, that isn't very funny. You take that serpent and leave this barn, right now."

Smiling, Booth said, "Oh, come on Bones. It's just a milk snake. It isn't poisonous. It eats mice, stuff like that."

Shaking her head, Brennan said, "I don't care what it eats, Booth. You know how I feel about snakes. Please take it outside."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth carried the snake out of the barn. Seeing the owner of the barn talking to Sweets, Booth walked over to where Jeb Jenkins was standing and said, "Mr. Jenkins, I found this milk snake in your barn. My partner doesn't like snakes; but, I don't want to kill it. Do you have something we can put it in until she's done looking over the crime scene?"

Nodding Jeb, walked over to the tack room, attached to the barn and brought back a box. Taking the snake from Booth, Jeb said, "Thanks, Agent Booth. They're great at keeping the rodent population down so I'm glad you didn't kill it. How did you know that this isn't a dangerous snake?"

"Red next to black, venom I lack; red next to yellow, run away fellow. It's something I learned when I was a Boy Scout." Booth explained.

"That's pretty good. I'll have to remember that one. Thanks for not shooting it." Jeb said.

Smiling, Booth said, "No problem."

Turning around, Booth started to walk back to the barn.

"Wait Booth," Sweets said, "I didn't know that Dr. Brennan was afraid of snakes."

Stopping, Booth turned to face Sweets and held up his right hand, "It's none of your business, Sweets. You're not her therapist."

Nodding his head, Sweets said, "Yes, I know. It's just that phobias are a specialty of mine and if Dr. Brennan is afraid of snakes; then, I might be able to help her."

Shaking his head, Booth said, "I'm warning you Sweets. Let it go."

Frowning, Sweets said, "I think I should at least offer Dr. Brennan my services."

Looking up at the sky and then back at Sweets, Booth said, "Do what you want, just don't say I didn't warn you." Turning around, Booth started walking back to the barn with Sweets following in his wake.

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Entering the barn, Booth saw Brennan hunched over the corpse again. Walking over to where Hodgins was working, Booth asked quietly, "Seen any more snakes?"

Shaking his head, Hodgins said, "No, just the one you found. As soon as you left with the snake, Dr. B. started to examine the victim again."

Nodding his head, Booth walked over to where Brennan was working and stood by while his partner looked over the victim's body.

Sweets, after entering the barn behind Booth, walked over to where Hodgins was working and waited for Booth to move on to where Brennan was working. Alone with Hodgins, Sweets hunched down next to Hodgins and asked quietly, "You noticed the snake?"

Smiling, Hodgins said, "I noticed the canvas bag next to the body move twice. I told Booth and he found the snake."

Nodding his head, Sweets lowered his voice and asked, "What was Dr. Brennan's reaction when she saw the snake?"

Frowning, Hodgins asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"If Dr. Brennan has a snake phobia; I'd like to help her." Sweets said. "Agent Booth wants me to ignore her fear and to leave her alone."

Nodding his head, Hodgins said, "Booth's right. Dr. B. will just get mad if you butt into her private business."

Sighing, Sweets said, "Why is it that no one wants to let me help them when I recognize that they have a problem; but, the second they think they have a problem they think it's ok to just barge into my office and expect me to help them?"

"Because we know you'll stop what you're doing and listen?" Hodgins asked.

Shaking his head, Sweets straightened up and walked over to where Brennan and Booth were. Leaning over the body, Sweets decided that this body wasn't the worse one he'd ever seen. Looking at Booth, Sweets saw Booth frowning at him.

Smiling, Sweets walked around the body and stood next to Booth. Looking around, Sweets saw the canvas bag, lying on the floor near the body, twitching.

Pointing to the bag, Sweets said, "Hey, that bag is moving."

Turning to look, Booth said, "I found the snake under the bag, maybe there's one inside."

Hearing Booth, Brennan stood up again and walked a few feet from the area, watching the bag.

Sighing, Booth started to walk towards the bag when he felt Sweets touch his arm and say, "That's ok, I'll get it."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth watched Sweets walk over to the bag and pick it up.

Opening the bag, Sweets looked inside the bag to see if he could see if there was a snake in the bag. He wanted to show Brennan that there wasn't anything to fear about most snakes. Opening the bag wider, Sweets found himself looking into small, beady, cold eyes. Hearing the blood roaring in his head, Sweets passed out.

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Does this sound interesting? Please let me know. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for reviewing my story.

I don't own Bones.

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Watching Sweets pick up the bag, Booth started to tell him to leave the bag alone; but, realized that Sweets was determined to make a point. Watching Sweets closely, Booth decided to let Sweets open the bag. It was probably another milk snake anyways. The barn was a good source of food for the snakes and they were fairly harmless. Booth was taken by surprise when Sweets opened the bag and then fainted. Moving as fast as he could, Booth tried to grab Sweets before Sweets hit the floor; but, he wasn't fast enough. Sweets fell to the floor and Booth heard the back of Sweets' head smack the floor. They all heard it.

Kneeling next to Sweets, Booth picked up the bag, held it up and said, "Hodgins, find out what's in this bag. I didn't see Sweet's get bit by anything or struck by a snake. We need to know what's in the bag."

Nodding, Hodgins walked over and took the bag into his right hand. Walking over to his crime kit, Hodgins put on some thick leather gloves and a pair of goggles over his eyes. He then took a camera that was attached to a long flexible tube and put the camera in a small opening in the bag. Hooking up the camera to his laptop, he brought up his camera and saw what Sweets had seen.

While Hodgins checked the contents of the bag, Booth put his hand under Sweets head and felt a bump.

"Uh, Booth," Hodgins said, "There's a rat in this bag."

Shaking his head, Booth said, "Yeah, Sweets is so concerned about everyone else's phobias; but, he forgets he has one too."

Hearing that the bag had a rat in it, Brennan walked over to where Sweets lay and also felt the back of his head. Sweets had a knot on his head where it had hit the floor.

Turning to Booth, Brennan said, "We should probably call an ambulance for Dr. Sweets. He may have a concussion."

Looking at Hodgins, Booth said, "Help me carry him out to the truck. We'll put him in the back seat."

Frowning, Hodgins asked, "Are you sure? I mean he's out cold. Maybe we should leave him here."

Shaking his head, Booth said, "Nah. If we put him in the truck, he'll be out of the way and you and Bones can do your job. I can turn the air conditioning on, in the truck, to make him more comfortable. It'll be better than lying in this hot barn."

Nodding, Hodgins grabbed Sweets legs and Booth picked up Sweets under his arms. Lifting him, Booth groaned.

Frowning, Brennan said, "If you hurt your back again, I'll make you stay home."

Shaking his head, Booth said, "My back is fine. This kid is as light as a feather."

Shaking her head, Brennan leaned back over her victim again.

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The owner of the barn, curious about what was going on, came over and stood next to Booth and Hodgins as they put Sweets into the back seat of the SUV. Turning to Jeb Jenkins, Hodgins asked him to call for an ambulance. Walking away from the SUV, Jeb took his phone off of his belt and dialed 911. Once he was done, Jeb walked back over to his truck and sat on the tailgate, watching.

"Man, when Sweets wakes up he's going to have a bitch of a headache." Booth said to Hodgins.

Once he was sure Sweets was getting some cool air in the back seat, Booth left the door of the truck open so he could keep an eye on Sweets until the ambulance arrived. Seeing that there was some shade in the front of the barn, Booth walked over to a bench located in the shade and sat down. Putting his right hand on the small of his back, Booth started cursing under his breath. Hodgins seeing that Booth was in distress, walked into the barn and warned Brennan about Booth.

"Just so you know, I think Booth hurt his back again." Hodgins told Brennan quietly.

Shaking her head, Brennan said, "I'll see about it as soon as I finish here. I would like to release the body sometime today."

Nodding, Hodgins went back to work.

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Sweets had been unconscious for about eighteen minutes before he finally came to. Not knowing where he was, Sweets sat up, looked around and saw that he was in Booth's SUV. Sliding over to the open door, Sweets swung his legs out of the truck and lowered himself to the ground. Seeing Booth sitting on a bench outside of the barn, Sweets put his hands in his pockets and walked over to where Booth was sitting.

"Uh, what happened? Why was I lying in your truck?" Sweets asked.

Looking up at Sweets, Booth said, "You're so worried about Bones and her possible snake phobia; but, you have your own phobia Sweets. How are you supposed to fix Bones when you can't fix yourself?"

Shaking his head, Sweets sat on the bench next to Booth and said, "Yeah, ok. What happened to me?" Reaching up and feeling the back of his head, Sweets asked, "What the hell happened to my head?"

Frowning, Booth said, "You saw a rat in the canvas bag and passed out. You hit your head on the floor of the barn and Bones thinks you have a concussion. Mr. Jenkins called an ambulance for you."

Frowning himself, Sweets said, "I don't need an ambulance. I'm fine."

Seeing the ambulance coming down the road, Booth said, "Sorry Sweets. You're going to the hospital. I've had head trauma myself and I'm telling you, that's nothing to mess with. Don't worry, I'll go with you. I'll just let Bones know about me going with you and I'll give my truck keys to her. She can come and get us from the hospital after she and Hodgins are done here and the doctors says you can go home."

Looking at the FBI squints going over the barn yard and the adjoining paddocks, Booth said, "The rest of the squints can take their time and do what they have to do."

Looking at Booth, Sweets said, "I don't want to go to the hospital, Booth. I'm fine."

Shaking his head, Booth said, "You forget Sweets. I'm Special Agent in Charge. That means that you answer to me when you're in the field with me. You're going. Wait here and I'll go talk to Bones."

Seeing that he wasn't going to win the argument, Sweets sat down on the bench and closed his eyes.

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Still Interested? Reviews would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for reviewing my story.

I don't own Bones.

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Once the ambulance arrived the EMTs agreed with Booth and insisted that Sweets go to the hospital. He definitely needed a doctor to look at his head and probably a CT Scan. Giving in, Sweets allowed himself to be strapped onto a gurney and loaded into the ambulance. Getting in the ambulance with the EMTs, Booth carefully sat down and looked at Sweets. Seeing him lay there worried Booth. "Maybe I should reconsider taking Sweets out into the field with me," Booth thought. Brennan was five months pregnant and she wasn't going out into the field as often as she used to; but, he could always get Shaw to partner up with him. Sweets just may not be field agent material.

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Brennan and Hodgins worked at the crime scene for another three hours. During that time, Booth called Brennan to let her know that Sweets did have a concussion and needed to stay in the hospital until the next day. The attending physician wanted to keep Sweets overnight for observation. After talking it over, it was decided that Brennan would get a hotel room for her and Booth and Hodgins would get a ride back to the Jeffersonian with the FBI squints.

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After she was finished with her part of the investigation of the crime scene, Brennan formally released the body. She then packed up her crime kit and drove Booth's truck over to the hospital. When she arrived at the hospital, Brennan saw that it was a small hospital. The Emergency entrance was located to the right of the building. Parking the truck near the entrance, Brennan walked into the Emergency entrance and saw Booth sitting in the waiting area. He was leaning back against the chair and had his head resting against the wall, behind him. He looked like he was in pain.

Sitting down next to Booth, Brennan said, "Hi Booth. How is Dr. Sweets?"

Opening his eyes, Booth said, "He's ok. He's got a headache and he's being a pain in the ass. He swears that he didn't pass out because he saw the rat in the bag. He said it was low blood sugar."

"Maybe he's right. He is thin and from my observations; he doesn't always eat correctly," Brennan said.

Smiling, Booth put his hand on Brennan's knee and said, "He's afraid of rodents, Bones. He fainted when he saw the rat."

Nodding her head, Brennan said, "It's ridiculous to be afraid of mice and rats. They're fairly harmless."

Patting her knee, Booth said, "It's no more ridiculous than being afraid of snakes."

Frowning, Brennan said, "Or clowns?"

Squinting, Booth said, "I'm not afraid of clowns."

"Well, I'm not afraid of snakes," Brennan said.

Sighing, Booth said, "Whatever Bones. You're not afraid of snakes, I'm not afraid of clowns and Sweets isn't afraid of mice."

Shaking her head, Brennan said, "Oh no. Sweets is definitely afraid of mice."

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That evening, Brennan gave Booth a Thai massage in their hotel room.

Lying on the bed, watching Brennan rub his leg muscles, Booth said, "You know I really didn't hurt my back picking up Sweets. I'm just tired and my back is stiff."

Stopping her massage, Brennan asked, "So you want me to stop the massage?"

Frowning, Booth said, "No, that's ok. I mean, you're doing it anyways so why stop?"

Smiling, Brennan moved her hands and started to massage Booth's upper right thigh. "I suppose if the massage is helping you to relax then I should continue."

Gasping, Booth said, "Yeah, I'm definitely relaxed. I'm very relaxed."

Shaking her head, Brennan said, "You're starting to look very tense to me."

Clearing his throat, Booth said, "No, I'm not tense, really."

Finishing with his right thigh, Brennan moved to Booth's upper left thigh.

Booth thought he'd be having a problem any minute, when Brennan's phone rang. Stopping what she was doing, Brennan stepped over to the dresser, picked up her phone and accepted the call.

Sighing, Booth rolled over onto his stomach and listened to Brennan talking on the phone.

"No, Angela, Dr. Sweets is fine. We'll be going back to D.C. in the morning, as soon as they release Dr. Sweets from the hospital."

Looking at Booth, Brennan said, "I'm giving Booth a massage right now. His back muscles are stiff."

Staring at Booth's back, Brennan said, "Of course, he's naked Angela, how am I supposed to give him the full benefit of the massage, if he's wearing clothes."

Startled upon hearing that, Booth said, "Hey, what we're doing is none of Angela's business. End the call."

Frowning, Brennan said, "Booth wants me to end this call. No, I will not take pictures, Angela."

Frowning, Booth rolled back over onto his back and pulled up the sheet to cover the lower part of his body. He remembered the omelet picture that Brennan had taken of him a while back and had squirreled away somewhere in her apartment. He still hadn't found it yet.

Ending the call, Brennan walked back over to the bed, "Do you want me to finish the massage?"

Reaching out his hand, Booth touched Brennan's right hip and said, "Why don't you get into bed and I'll give you a massage."

Smiling, Brennan said, "That sounds interesting. Do you have any training in massage?"

Shaking his head, Booth said, "Not traditional training; but, I do have interesting technique."

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Ok, this massage was for Mendenbar. She wanted one done in one of my stories. I hope you liked it. What did you think of it?


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for all of the reviews.

I don't own Bones.

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The doctor treating Sweets had finally sprung Sweets from the hospital at around 8:30 a.m. the next morning. Driving back towards D.C., Booth glanced at Brennan and said, "Ok, Bones. Let's talk about the case. What did you"

Interrupting Booth from the back seat, Sweets said, "Wait Booth. I'd like to talk to Dr. Brennan about her snake phobia."

Frowning, Brennan glared at Booth and said, "I don't have a snake phobia, Dr. Sweets."

Shaking his head, Sweets said, "I was in the barn, Dr. Brennan. I saw you move away from the victim when you thought there might be a possibility that the bag had a snake in it."

Glancing back at Sweets, Brennan said, "I am very cautious when it comes to reptiles. I don't know enough about them to tell the difference between poisonous snakes and non-poisonous snakes. I feel it is wiser to treat all snakes as if they're dangerous. That prevents me from making a fatal mistake. You on the other hand are afraid of rodents and that doesn't seem very logical. Unless you come across a rabid mouse or rat, you'll find that most rodents are not dangerous."

Smiling, Booth took his right hand off of his steering wheel and made a thumbs up gesture close to his chest. He loved that Brennan was so quick witted. He really loved it when she used her quick wits against someone other than him.

Shaking his head, Sweets said, "You're deflecting, Dr. Brennan. You don't want to talk to me about your snake phobia; so, you verbally attack me and try to divert the conversation away from your problem by inventing a problem for me."

Smiling, Brennan said, "If you'll take one of your hands and touch the back of your head, you'll find proof that you're afraid of rodents. You fainted when you saw the rat in the victim's bag. That is a fact that you cannot deny and maintain a modicum of truth."

Shaking his head, Sweets looked out of the passenger side window and watched the countryside pass by.

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Seeing that Sweets had finished talking for now, Booth asked, "What can you tell me about the victim, Bones?"

Watching Booth drive, Brennan said, "The victim was a Caucasian male, approximately 26 years of age. He suffered blunt force trauma to the back of his head. Since the weapon wasn't lying next to the body; I'll have to study the fracture to see if I can determine the weapon that was used. The victim has been dead for at least five days. The victim was killed at another site and brought to the site where he was found. We really need to find the initial crime scene."

Nodding his head, Booth said, "The FBI squints are still looking for it. We need to identify the victim. That will give us an idea where to look."

Nodding her head, Brennan said, "I'm fairly certain we should be able to identify the victim in a day or two."

Glancing back towards Sweets, Brennan said, "Of course, the damage done by rodents eating parts of the victim will make the job more difficult."

Watching, Sweets flinch, Brennan said, "Hodgins told me that he was going to trap some of the rodents in the barn to bring them back to the Jeffersonian. He said that he may find something that belonged to the victim in the rodent's digestive systems."

Frowning, Sweets turned to look at Brennan. He didn't appreciate her comments and he wanted her to know it. "I'm not afraid of rats and mice, Dr. Brennan."

Smiling, Brennan looked forward and watched the road.

Booth shook his head. "When is Sweets going to learn to leave Bones alone?" Booth thought.

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It took one day for Angela to identify the victim. He was a rodeo clown and horse trainer that had been reported missing by his employer three days ago. In that time, Brennan was also able to determine what caused the death of the victim. She knew the how and she knew when, she just didn't know where or why.

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Booth was sitting in his office, working on the inevitable paper work, when Brennan walked into his office and sat down in the chair across from his desk.

Looking up in surprise, Booth asked, "Hey, Bones. What brings you over here at this time of the day? Is there a problem?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan said, "There may be a problem."

Frowning, Booth stood up and walked around the desk. Squatting down next to Brennan, Booth said, "Are you ok?"

Shaking her head, Brennan leaned over and kissed Booth. "No, the problem has nothing to do with me."

Kissing her back, Booth stood up and leaned against his desk. "Quit being so mysterious, Bones. What's the problem? Is Sweets still giving you a hard time about your snake phobia."

Frowning, Brennan said, "No, Sweets hasn't contacted me since we got back to D.C. yesterday. By the way, I don't have a snake phobia and the problem has to do with you, not me."

Shaking his head, Booth said, "Ok, what problem do I have?"

Watching Booth for his reaction, Brennan said, "The victim has been identified as Gary Stills. He worked as a horse trainer and a rodeo clown."

Swallowing, Booth said, "Damn it."

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All God's little children seem to have problems. Think I'm piling on? What do you think about it? Up next, Brennan performs an experiment on Sweets.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own Bones.

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Booth found out that Gary Stills' employer was located next to the farm where Gary's body had been found. Gary was a rodeo clown only part time. Most of the time Gary worked for a horse breeder named Tom Deblanc, who was also Gary's cousin. Gary had been reported missing two days after he had an argument with Tom and Gary had walked away in a huff. Booth made arrangements to meet Tom Deblanc the next morning at the Deblanc horse farm.

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Sweets was sitting in his office, looking over some reports when Brennan walked into his office. She was carrying a shopping bag.

Walking across Sweets office, Brennan stopped in front of Sweet's desk and said, " I've come to your office to prove two facts to you Dr. Sweets. I've just come from a Pet Shop where I've made two purchases."

Lifting the bag, Brennan pulled out two clear sided boxes, which contained air holes, and put them in the middle of Sweets' desk, side-by-side. "As you can see, one box contains a milk snake and the other one contains a mouse."

Jumping up from his desk, Sweets said, "What the hell, Dr. Brennan."

Smiling, Brennan leaned over, opened the box containing the snake, reached in and picked up the snake. "As you can see, I am not afraid of snakes. At least not non-poisonous snakes."

Putting the snake back in the box, Brennan then opened the box containing the mouse, reached in and lifted out the mouse. "As you can see, I'm also not afraid of mice."

Putting the mouse back into the box and closing the lid, Brennan said, "Now, I hope I have finally proved to you that I am not afraid of snakes. Will you open the box and pick up the mouse to prove to me that you're not afraid of mice?"

Looking at Brennan with anger, Sweets said, "You have no right to come barging into my office and try to humiliate me. I will not open any boxes because it will justify your actions and I won't do that. You can take both boxes and leave my office."

Puzzled, Brennan said, "I wasn't trying to humiliate you Dr. Sweets. I was merely trying to prove a point. I'm sorry if you think I was trying to do anything different. I have to leave and I don't have time to take these back to my office. You may either take them to Hodgins and tell him that they are a gift from you or you may send them over to the Jeffersonian by courier."

Turning around, Brennan started walking across Sweets office. Pausing at the doorway, Brennan looked back and said, "I would appreciate it, if from now on, you don't interfere in my personal business." Walking through the doorway, Brennan continued to Booth's office. She and Booth were going to a see a relative of Gary Stills and she didn't have anymore time to waste on foolishness.

Calling out after Brennan, Sweets said, "Hey, you can't just leave these here." Seeing her leave his office, Sweets said, "Ok, what the hell is going on?"

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Arriving at the Deblanc horse farm, Booth and Brennan were met in front of the house by Tom Deblanc. He had been waiting for Booth and Brennan to arrive since Booth had called him to arrange a meeting.

Walking over to Booth's SUV, Tom waited for Booth and Brennan to get out of the truck.

Holding out his right hand, Tom said, "Hi, I'm Tom Deblanc. You called me three hours ago."

Nodding his head, Booth shook Tom's hand and pointing to Brennan said, "This is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan."

Pointing to the side of his house, Tom said, "If you'll come with me, we can do this in the shade."

"That'll be fine, Mr. Deblanc." Booth said.

Smiling, Tom walked around to the side of the house and stopped at his patio. Pointing to some benches, Tom sat down and waited.

Sitting on a bench across from Tom, Booth said, "You reported Gary Stills missing three days ago; but, you haven't seen him for five days. I was wondering why you waited two days to report him missing."

Nodding, Tom said, "Because Gary's car was still on the farm and I thought he was just staying out of my way. We had an argument and Gary is, uh, was a poor loser. Whenever we got into fights he would disappear for a couple of days. Then he'd just show up and pretend that everything was fine."

"So after two days, you looked for Gary?" Booth asked.

"Yeah, I sure did. I looked every place I could think of and I couldn't find him." Tom said. "I mean his car was still here so I got a little scared. I should have been able to find him; but, I couldn't. Everyone on the farm spent a day looking in every spot we could think of; so, when we couldn't find him I called the Sheriff's office. The Sheriff came and took a statement, looked in Gary's trailer and in his car; but, he didn't have a lot to go on so he left. The next thing I know, you called me and told me that Gary's body had been found at the Jenkins place. How did he die, Agent Booth?"

"The back of his head was crushed by a horse's hooves," Brennan said. "Gary Stills also had a high level of alcohol in his system at the time of his death."

Shaking his head, Tom said, "That can't be right, Gary gave up drinking two years ago when he had a riding accident and broke his leg. He swore he would never drink again."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan said, "Then obviously he didn't keep his word. His alcohol level was high enough that he was considered legally drunk."

Shaking his head, Tom said, " I don't understand how Gary ended up at the Jenkins place. If he was that drunk, how did he get there? I don't think Jeb Jenkins horses would have done this. I know for a fact that Jeb's horses are pretty mild mannered. They're his pets for God's sake. He's a dairy farmer not a horse breeder."

Shaking her head, Brennan said, "We know that where he died isn't where we found the body. He was killed by a horse and then someone waited five days to move his body to the Jenkins barn."

Looking at Tom, Booth said, "I checked and you've had two horses stolen from your farm in the last six months. Is it possible that Gary had something to do with that?"

Shaking his head, Tom said, "No way. Those two horses were studs. They were valuable horses and it just so happens that Gary had a stake in those two horses. He was part owner and received a profit from them. He wouldn't have had a reason to steal them."

Nodding his head, Booth said, "Ok, I see. If you can think of anything else then please contact me. I'd appreciate it."

Sighing, Tom said, "How am I going to tell Gary's mother? He was her only child."

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What do you think? I really would appreciat some reviews. Thanks.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the reviews.

I don't own Bones.

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Driving back to D.C., Brennan remained fairly quiet. After awhile, Booth asked, "Is something wrong, Bones? You're very quiet."

Turning to Booth, Brennan said, "I performed an experiment with Sweets this morning. He didn't like the experiment and he told me I was trying to humiliate him. That's wasn't my intention; but, apparently, he thinks it was."

Puzzled, Booth asked, "What was the experiment?"

Watching Booth's face, Brennan explained to Booth what she had done with the milk snake and the mouse.

After Brennan had finished explaining, Booth shook his head and asked, "You picked up a milk snake, in your bare hands?"

Nodding her head, Brennan said, "Yes, I told you I don't have a snake phobia."

Sighing, Booth said, "OK, in the past, when we came across an entire room of snakes, you jumped on my back to get past them. That time we were out in the field and that snake moved out from under the victims jacket, you got up and ran over 50 feet before you stopped. Even then, you wouldn't approach the victim again until I carried the snake a good 500 feet into the woods. The other day I found a snake under the canvas bag at our crime scene and you made me take it out of the barn. Now you tell me you picked up a snake from a box and held it in your hand. You're confusing the shit out me. Are you afraid of snakes or not?"

Frowning, Brennan said, "I'm afraid of snakes under certain circumstances."

Glancing at Brennan, Booth asked, "Under what circumstances?"

Looking out of the passenger side window, Brennan said, "I'm only afraid of snakes when you're present. If you're not within my sight then, most of the time, I'm not afraid of snakes."

Squinting his eyes and then glancing at Brennan, Booth said, "I don't think I understand that one. Can you explain it to me?"

Sighing, Brennan said, "I'd never actually seen a live snake, in my life, until that case that involved the EMT dressed up as a clown who tortured his victims by trying to frighten them to death. When I was confronted by the sight of those snakes I was overwhelmed with fear. I didn't know if the snakes I was seeing were dangerous or not and so I relied upon you to protect me. I knew you would protect me so I didn't have to try to do anything about my ignorance and fear. When I was in Maluku, I found myself in the presence of snakes on a weekly basis. Because you weren't there for me to rely upon, I had to rely upon myself. I soon learned that most of those snakes were actually non-poisonous and if I gave myself time, I could and would react in a calm and rational way. When I came back from Maluku, I didn't have to deal with snakes any more. Since then, the two times I have come into contact with snakes were when you were present. I didn't have to try to determine if they were dangerous or not. I knew I could treat all snakes as dangerous, that you would protect me and that you would remove the snakes from my presence. If I have time and I know that the snake is non-poisonous, then I can behave in a calm and rational manner. I believe this proves that I do not actually have a snake phobia. I'm just extremely cautious about snakes because I can't tell the difference between the benign ones and the dangerous ones."

Watching the road, Booth said, "Why didn't you just tell Sweets that? Why give him a box with a mouse in it and probably scare the hell out of him?"

Looking at Booth, Brennan said, "I wanted to prove to him that he has a fear of mice and that he needs to deal with his own fears and not harass other people about their fears. It's hypocritical."

Rubbing the left side of his mouth, Booth finally said, "Some people can't admit that they're afraid of something, especially when they're afraid of something that their friends and family aren't afraid of. They're afraid that it will make them look foolish or weak or both. It's not that they're trying to be deceitful about their fear. They just want respect and they're afraid that their fear will invite ridicule and teasing. Everyone wants respect, Bones, and they'll do almost anything to make sure that they get it and keep it. Sweets can't admit he's afraid of mice because he's a trained psychologist and he's supposed to be able to help people who have uncontrollable fears. He's afraid that if we see him with an irrational fear of mice, then, he'll lose our respect and we won't trust him."

Nodding her head, Brennan said, "I see. And this applies to everyone? This fear that they'll lose respect if they show they're afraid of something?"

Smiling, Booth said, "Of course, it applies to everyone. No one wants to be the butt of ridicule and disrespect."

Looking out of the passenger window again, Brennan said, "So if someone is afraid of clowns or snakes, then it is normal for them to deny it?"

Glancing at Brennan, Booth said, "Yes, they're normal."

Turning her head and smiling, Brennan said, "I am not afraid of snakes."

Smiling, Booth said, "And I'm not afraid of clowns."

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What do you think about this chapter? I hope you're still interested in my story. Next, Booth gets a lesson in snake home economics.


	7. Chapter 7

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I don't own Bone.

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Arriving back at the D.C., Booth dropped Brennan off at the Jeffersonian and he continued on to the Hoover building. Stopping off at the break room, Booth poured himself a cup of coffee and walked out of the break room, almost bumping into Sweets.

"Hey, Sweets," Booth said. "How's your head?"

Nodding his head, Sweets said, "It's fine. It doesn't hurt."

"Good," Booth said. Smiling, Booth continued down the hallway to his office, Sweets following behind him.

"Uh, Booth, do you think I could talk to you for a minute?" Sweets asked.

Looking over his shoulder, Booth said, "Yeah, sure." Walking around his desk, Booth sat down and put his cup of coffee on the desk in front of him. "Shoot."

Sitting in the chair across from Booth, Sweets said, "Dr. Brennan came by my office this morning. Do you know about that?"

Nodding his head, Booth said, "Sure. She told me what she did. She told me that you felt humiliated by what she did. You should know Bones by now. She was only trying to prove a point. She didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Sighing, Sweets said, "Yes. I know. She wanted to prove that she's not afraid of snakes and that I'm afraid of mice. I could understand the point she was making about the snake; but, not about the mouse."

"Actually, that part is pretty easy to figure out too, Sweets," Booth said. "Bones doesn't believe in psychology. She feels that when people try to use it on her, they're just trying to interfere in her personal business. She's a very private person. You know that. When you kept insisting that she was afraid of snakes, she felt that she had to prove to you she wasn't. She was just trying to get you to leave her alone. The mouse thing was to prove to you that psychology isn't always the answer to every problem in life. You're a psychologist and you have fears just like everyone else. She wants you to leave her alone. She's not interested in therapy."

Nodding his head, Sweets said, "Do you know why she's afraid of snakes sometimes and not at other times?"

Nodding his head, slowly, Booth said, "Again, the explanation is pretty simple, Sweets. She can't tell the difference between poisonous snakes and non-poisonous snakes. She doesn't come across very many in her line of work; so, she doesn't think it's worth finding out which ones to be afraid of and which ones are harmless. To save time, she's afraid of all of them unless she knows for sure they're safe to be around."

Shaking his head, Sweets said, "Why couldn't she just tell me that? Why the experiment?"

Smiling, Booth said, "Bones does things her way. She always has and she always will. I try not to worry about it too much. It makes life easier that way."

Nodding his head, Sweets said, "Ok, I guess I get it. Can you come to my office before you go home and pick up the snake and the mouse. You can take them home and then Dr. Brennan can take them to work tomorrow."

Smiling, Booth said, "Sure, I can do that. Oh and the next time I tell you to leave Bones alone, maybe you'll listen to me."

Smiling, Sweets said, "Maybe I will."

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Booth arranged for some FBI squints to go out to the Deblanc farm and see if they could find out where Gary Stills had died. He also made arrangements with Tom Deblanc to go back out to Deblanc's horse farm and interview Gary's friends and co-workers. Someone knew something and Booth was determined to find out what had happened to Gary Stills. He was hoping that his squints would find where Gary died first. He could use that information as leverage to get more information.

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Arriving home that evening, Booth carried the snake and mouse into the living room and put them onto the dining room table.

Looking for Brennan, Booth found her in the kitchen, making a salad.

"Hey, Bones," Booth said. Walking over to her, Booth put his arms around her waist and kissed Brennan on her neck.

Smiling, Booth leaned around Brennan, picked a carrot out of the salad and popped it into his mouth. "Sweets asked me to bring your presents home so you can take them to work with you tomorrow."

Nodding her head, Brennan turned around, walked out of the kitchen and walked over to the dinning room table. Booth followed behind her to see what she was going to do.

Looking at Booth, Brennan said, "I'm not sure when the snake has eaten last."

Opening the lid to the box where the mouse lay, Brennan picked up the mouse by it's tail. Opening the lid to the box that held the snake, Brennan then deposited the mouse into the same box as the snake and then closed the lid.

Shaking his head, Booth said, "What are you doing?"

"Milk snakes eat mice Booth." Brennan said, "If I feed the mouse to the snake then I won't have to worry about feeding the mouse."

Watching the snake move towards the mouse, Booth turned around and went back into the kitchen. Sitting down at the kitchen table, Booth folded his hands in front of him and stared at them.

Walking back into the kitchen, Brennan said, "Would you like to eat in here?"

Slowing nodding his head, Booth said, "Hell yeah."

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That kind of grossed me out. Sorry. I didn't know I was going to write it that way until it appeared on the screen.


	8. Chapter 8

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I don't own Bones.

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Sweets considered what Booth had told him and he realized that Booth had a point. He had been so fired up to help Dr. Brennan with her fear of snakes and yet he was willing to over look the fact that he had his own fears. Until he got his mouse phobia under control, then how could he presume to help anyone else with their phobias?

He had tried to help Booth in the past with his fear of clowns; but, that had turned into a big disaster. He was lucky that Booth hadn't filed a complaint against him when he talked to Brennan about Booth's therapy session. Luckily Booth had let it go. Of course, Booth may have considered Hodgins and Angela's practical joke punishment enough. That joke had been very embarrassing.

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Walking into the Lab, Sweets looked around to see if he could see Hodgins. Not seeing him on the platform, Sweets walked over to Hodgins office. Poking his head through the doorway, Sweets called out, "Hey, Dr. Hodgins, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Turning around, Hodgins smiled and said, "Sure, what's up?"

Walking into the room, Sweets looked around and then walked over to where Hodgins was sitting.

"Are you afraid of anything?" Sweets asked.

Laughing, Hodgins said, "As if I'd tell you. I wasn't born ten minutes ago you know. I tell you what I'm afraid of and the next thing I know my car is full the things. No way."

Shaking his head, Sweets said, "No, you misunderstand me. I don't have any intention of getting back at you over the mouse joke you pulled on me a few months ago. I want to know, since you have to deal with all kinds of bugs and stuff, if you know how to deal with something you're afraid of, when you come across what ever it is, while you're doing your job."

Staring at Sweets, Hodgins thought about his answer for a couple of minutes and then said, "Everyone if afraid of something, Sweets. Even though I'm the bug and slime guy, there are some things that give even me the willies. When I have to deal with them, I put on thick leather gloves and I kind of hold my breath. I try to just concentrate on some little bit of what ever I'm dealing with instead of the whole thing. I also keep saying to myself that I can kill it anytime I like. It's body is soft and small. It can't pick me up, it can't throw me around, it can't break bits of me, it can't really hurt me at all. Believe it or not, that does help."

Nodding his head, Sweets said, "Are you afraid of anything that bites? Something that can hurt you?"

Nodding his head, Hodgins said, "Hell yeah. You couldn't get me near a polar bear. They can destroy a human body in seconds. They're vicious and not tamable."

Shaking his head, Sweets said, "No, I meant anything that bites that you're likely to come across while doing your job."

Sighing, Hodgins said, "If I ever had to deal with a deranged psychopath with a knife in his hands, I might piss my pants. Besides that, no. Most animals that can hurt me aren't going to be at any crime scene I have to deal with. If they are, I'm surrounded by men and women with guns. My job just isn't that dangerous. I deal mostly with bugs, slime and small animals and reptiles. Not too many of those can really hurt me."

Nodding his head, Sweets said, "Yeah but some small creatures bite or sting or claw. What do you do with those? Even small bites hurt and how many times have we seen bodies where mice and rats gorged until someone came along to make them stop?"

Smiling, Hodgins said, "That's nature. Rats and mice are omnivores and if you present them with a nice juicy body then they'll have a feast. They're not doing anything wrong. Their instinct says eat and they eat. Look, most wild creatures are just as afraid of you as you are of them. Mice and rats don't sit around plotting to jump on the first human that happens to come around them. Life isn't a movie titled "Willard". Life is untitled and chaos. We're all part of that chaos. We try to make sense of our little piece of chaos that we call our life; but, sometimes shit happens. We're afraid of the unknown and that's human nature. If you want to overcome your fear of mice, then I have a solution. Buy a cage and buy a mouse. Take it home. Observe it, watch it, study it. After awhile you'll notice something interesting. That mouse is just a small living creature that eats, drinks, plays, defecates and sleeps. It isn't some nefarious fiend plotting your demise. Hell most of the time it will just ignore you. It won't care who you are and what you're doing. You've heard the phrase familiarity breeds contempt? Well it's true. After a few weeks of having that mouse around you, you'll be saying to yourself, "This is what I've been afraid of? Really?"

Rubbing his neck, Sweets said, "Have you used this method to overcome a fear or are you just telling me something to make me go away?"

Nodding his head, Hodgins said, "Yes. I've used this method. My cousin, Sid, told me about it and I used it to overcome my fear of leeches. The first time I saw a leech, I threw my guts up. I had to dissect one in high school Biology class. My cousin, Sid was my lab partner. He ended up dissecting the leech because I couldn't stand to sit at the table with the leech. He came up with a way for me to overcome my revulsion for the leech. It worked. Try it, what do you have to lose, except fear? Angela says she plans to use this method for her fear of geckos pretty soon."

Frowning, Sweets said, "I'll think about it. So, besides leeches and polar bears, what else are you afraid of?"

Smiling, Hodgins said, "Psychologists who think I'm stupid."

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How am I doing? Still interested?


	9. Chapter 9

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The next morning, Booth finally heard back from his FBI squints. They had found where Gary Stills had died. He had been killed in a horse pasture that contained a patch of woods. The pasture was next to the Jenkins property. It looked like Gary was killed in the pasture and his body was dragged into the woods. There were ATV 4X4 tracks next to spot where Gary had lain in the woods. The squints figured that Gary's body was loaded onto the 4X4 and taken over to the Jenkins barn. There were seven horses in the pasture. With the help of Tom Deblanc, the squints had checked every horse in the pasture and they had found blood on the back left leg of one of the stallions. The squints had taken samples of the blood; but, logic told them that it was Gary Stills blood. They would give the result of their tests to Booth as soon as they could. The initial test said it was human blood.

The squints were also going to check the three 4X4's located on the Deblanc farm and see if they could find any blood on them. They'd let Booth know if they found any.

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After getting that much needed info, Booth had all of Tom Deblanc's employees bank records searched to see if any of them had more money than their paychecks would account for. Booth intended to talk to anyone who seemed a little more flush than they should be. He still thought that this whole thing was connected to the stolen horses.

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Sweets was sitting in his office, reading one of his new journals, when Angela walked into his office. Looking up, Sweets saw Angela sit down on one of his couches. Sighing, Sweets stood up from his desk and walked over to the couch facing the couch Angela was sitting on. Sitting down, Sweets asked, "Can I help you?"

Smiling, Angela said, "Yes. I want to know if you plan to play a practical joke on Jack or me."

Shaking his head, Sweets said, "No, I'm not. I don't like practical jokes. Most of the time they're not very funny and someone's feelings end up getting hurt."

Nodding her head, Angela said, "Good. I was talking to Dad on the phone the other day about the mouse joke we played on you and how I thought you might want to get revenge for the joke."

Frowning, Sweets said, "Wait. You told your Dad that I might want to get revenge on you for a joke you played on me. Why would you do that, Angela? I mean, what did your Dad say about it?"

Smiling, Angela said, "Dad said he didn't approve of the joke that Jack and I played on you and he said that joke are more hurtful than helpful."

Nodding his head, Sweets said, "He's right. What else did he say?"

Staring at Sweets, Angela said, "Well he said, he doesn't like the word revenge and my name used in the same sentence. He told me that if you pull anything on me and I end up with hurt feelings, he may take a few days off and come and have a little talk with you."

Swallowing hard, Sweets said, "Wait. You tell your Dad that I don't have any intention of getting back at you or Hodgins about the whole mouse thing. You make him understand that Angela. I don't want to wake up in Tequila fumes and find a tattoo on any part of me. I don't like tattoos and I understand it's very painful to have them removed."

Shaking her head, Angela said, "You know, you and Jack need to get a grip. Dad is not as dangerous as you both make him out to be. He's just a concerned parent and likes to look after me. He would never hurt you. He just might give you a good Texas glare and a down home talking to. I just wanted you to know that Dad doesn't approve of practical jokes that's all."

Nodding his head, Sweets said, "I don't approve of them either. I also don't approve of veiled threats, Angela."

Smiling, Angela said, "If you thought they were veiled threats then I wasn't as clear as I wanted to be. Jack and I pulled the mouse joke on you because you made Booth mad and you interfered where you shouldn't have. We just wanted to teach you a lesson. I don't want to have to worry about revenge that's all."

Shaking his head, Sweets said, "I get it. I shouldn't have talked to Dr. Brennan about Booth. I get that. I do. The joke was your response and I get that too. I'm not looking for revenge, period. You can tell Hodgins to quit worrying about it and you make sure you make your Dad understand that too."

Getting up from the couch, Angela smiled and said, "Good. I knew you were a reasonable young man."

Turning around, Angela walked towards the doorway. Stopping, Angela turned back around and said, "You know, Hodgins has the cutest mouse pups in his lab right now. They're solid white and have tiny pink noses. I can always arrange to let you have a closer look at them."

Frowning, Sweet said, "No. That's ok. Thanks for the offer. I'm good."

Smiling, Angela left Sweets office, confident that Jack and her didn't have anything to worry about.

Smiling, Sweets thought, "I wonder if Angela knows that I know that she's afraid of geckos?"

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Any comments? How about a review. Thanks. Up next, Angela gets a big surprise.


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for the reviews. I really do appreciate them all.

I don't own Bones.

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Late that afternoon, Booth notified Tom Deblanc that he and Brennan would be out to his horse farm the next day. Booth finally had all of his ducks in a row and he would finally be able to confront the person responsible for Gary Stills death. Even though it was looking like Gary's death may have been an accident; it happened while a crime was being committed and that meant that the very least that would happen would be that someone was going to be arrested for manslaughter.

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Booth and Brennan had planned on going out on a date that evening; so, Booth drove over to the Jeffersonian at around 6:30 p.m. Walking into Brennan's office, Booth found Brennan ready to go. Smiling, he walked over to Brennan, took her hands in his and kissed her. Smiling, Brennan kissed back.

After a rather delightful kiss, Booth let Brennan's hands go and said, "Are you sure you want to go out this evening? We can have a lot of fun at home."

Shaking her head, Brennan said, "Even though sex would be very nice, I'm hungry and I'm looking forward to eating at Gordon Wyatt's restaurant tonight."

Smiling, Booth said, "You can't blame a fellow for trying. Let's go."

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Arriving at Booth's SUV parked in the parking garage, Booth opened the passenger side door of his SUV. Once Brennan was seated he closed the door and walked around to the driver's side of the truck. He had just opened the door when he heard a woman scream. Looking down towards the garage entrance, Booth saw, Angela running.

Yelling, Booth called out, "Angela, what's wrong?"

Seeing Booth, Angela stopped running and looked at Booth.

Puzzled, Booth jogged over towards Angela, Brennan following behind him. Brennan had heard the scream and had exited the truck as fast as high heels would allow, following Booth towards the source of the scream.

Blushing furiously, Angela waited for Booth and Brennan to arrive where she was standing.

Seeing Angela in an embarrassed state, Booth asked, "What the hell is going on, Angela? Was that you screaming?"

Looking at the ground, Angela said, "Yes, it was me. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I over reacted. Please, I know you two are going on a date. Never mind about me. I'm fine. Really."

Shaking his head, Booth looked at Brennan and then back at Angela. "What's going on Angela? I want an answer. Why did you scream? Why were you running?"

Looking down and back up, Angela said, "I opened the door to my car and uh, um ,uh, I, uh, um"

Reaching out and touching Angela's left shoulder, Booth said, "Angela. Please. Tell me what's going on?"

Clearing her throat, Angela said, "I opened the door to my car and I saw a bunch of geckos sitting in my car."

Frowning, Brennan asked, "Geckos? How would a bunch of geckos get into your car?"

Shaking her head, Angela said, "Oh, I can think of one way. When I get my hands on that little weasel, he's going to wish he'd never been born. I'm going to take a mouse and stuff it down his pants and sit on him while I hear him scream for mercy. That boy is in serious trouble. You can count on it."

Looking at Brennan and then back at Angela, Booth said, "Sweets."

Nodding her head, Angela said, "Sweets."

Shaking her head, Brennan asked, "Sweets? What do you mean Sweets?"

Looking at Brennan, Angela said, "Sweets must have found out that I'm afraid of geckos and he finally had the guts to pay me back for the mouse joke Jack and I played on him a couple of months ago."

Shaking her head, Brennan said, "You know I don't like practical jokes. They only lead to more practical jokes and very hurt feelings. You and Jack need to ignore Sweets' attempt at revenge before someone really gets hurt."

Tapping her right foot, Angela said, "Never mind, Brennan. This is between Sweets and me. You and Booth go on your date. I'll be fine."

Frowning, Booth said, "Would you like me to get the geckos out of your car first?"

Shaking her head, Angela said, "No. Go on your date. I'll call Jack and have him come back to the Jeffersonian and take care of them for me. You two go and have a good time."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth turned, put is left arm around Brennan's shoulder and said, "Ok, Bones. Let's go."

Shaking her head, Brennan said, "We might as well. I don't wish to be involved in anymore of Sweet's problems."

Smiling, Booth said, "Me neither. You know, they're all nuts. Angela, Hodgins and Sweets. They're all driving towards a cliff and they're too busy gunning for each other to notice. I just hope we don't get caught up in this mess like we did the last time."

Frowning, Brennan said, "Oh, we will. Never fear about that. We will."

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Any comments? Up next, a date and some heart felt advice.


	11. Chapter 11

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After they had been seated at their table, Booth looked over the wine selection and asked their waiter about the house special. Brennan, being five months pregnant decided that water would be her beverage of choice. Both Booth and Brennan were looking at their menu, when Gordon came over to their table.

"You know, if you really are my friends, then you'll leave the food choices to me tonight. I promise not to serve you whale sperm or Ostrich beaks." Gordon said with a smile.

Smiling, Booth stood up and shook Gordon's hand. "Hey, Bones and I like a little adventure in our food so we'll let you surprise us; but, we will take you up on your promise. No weird shit."

Sitting back down, Booth gave his menu to Gordon. A little uncertain, Brennan also gave her menu to Gordon.

Nodding his head, Gordon said, "Yes, not exactly the words I would use to describe my culinary masterpieces; but, I promise you both, no weird shit."

Leaning over, Gordon kissed Brennan on the cheek and said, "You two really need to come by more often. How am I supposed to know what's going on in your lives if you won't come around and let me snoop. I have to get all of my information from Angela and Jack Hodgins when they come in. They edit too much. It can be very frustrating."

Laughing, Brennan said, "We've been rather busy lately; but, we can stay and talk to you as long as you want to tonight. We're working on a case; but, we plan to wrap it up tomorrow."

Smiling, Gordon said, "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check on my kitchen staff and make sure that they haven't experimented with any of my dishes while my back was turned. You know how chefs are. Experiment and if it goes wrong, blame the palate of the one complaining. They're all a bunch of temperamental prima donnas, I swear. Oh, I guess that includes me, so be warned."

Watching Gordon walk away, Brennan gave Booth a puzzled look.

Smiling, Booth said, "We have to eat whatever he serves and we can't complain about it."

Shaking her head, Brennan said, "Why didn't he just say that?"

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Hodgins had received an urgent phone call from Angela and once he got Michael into his car seat, Hodgins drove over to the Jeffersonian. Driving into the parking garage, Hodgins parked next to Angela's car and then got Michael out of his car seat. Walking over to Angela, he handed Michael over to her and then walked back to his car. Getting out a couple of small wire cages from the trunk of his car, he walked over to Angela's car and opened the door.

Turning to Angela, Hodgins asked, "How many geckos am I looking for?"

Shaking her head, Angela said, "How would I know? I saw a few and slammed the car door. You know, Sweets is going to pay for this. I'll make sure that he understands that you don't mess with anyone from Texas. We have a sense of humor; but, we have our pride. That little mouse fearing weasel has gone too far. He promised me that he wasn't going to get revenge for our little joke. He's a liar and a weasel."

Smiling, Hodgins said, "Ok, babe. You need to calm down. Geckos can't hurt you and he probably thought it would be funny to put a few geckos in your car. I'm sure we can just let it go. He's had his revenge and you can stop worrying about it. You've been jittery for weeks waiting for Sweets to make his move. He did it and it's done."

Shaking her head, Angela said, "Oh no. This isn't over by a long shot. Sweets wants to play tit for tat. Well I'm tat now."

Worried, Hodgins said, "Angela. You need to let it go. We pulled a very embarrassing trick on Sweets and he's got his revenge. It's over. No one was hurt and at least you weren't publicly humiliated."

Frowning, Angela said, "I was too. Booth and Brennan were down here, in the garage, when I screamed and ran away from my car. They think I'm a loon for running away from geckos. I could see it in their faces. Sweets needs to be punished."

Sighing, Hodgins said, "Babe, I wish you would let it go. You've been on edge ever since we played that joke on Sweets. It's over and you can relax. If you try to get revenge then the cycle will just start again. I want it to stop. Please, Angela. Let it go. I am asking you to."

Squinting her eyes, Angela said, "I'll think about it."

Smiling, Hodgins said, "I'm counting on you to do the right thing, Angela. You have to set an example for Michael."

Smiling, Angela looked down at her son and said, "Mommy is not going to hurt Uncle Sweets. She promises."

Hearing Angela, Hodgins sighed with relief.

Seeing Hodgins climb into her car with the cages, Angela leaned in closer to her son and whispered, "Mommy may bend Uncle Weasel's body out of shape though."

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Reviews would be wonderful. Thanks.


	12. Chapter 12

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

This next morning, Booth and Brennan went out to the Deblanc place. Tom Deblanc was waiting for them in the front of his house. Booth had called him and had given Tom his ETA.

Getting out of his truck, Booth smiled at Tom and said, "I appreciate you waiting for us. Is Jerry Myers here?"

Nodding his head, Tom said, "Yep, he's over at the barn. Are you sure? Jerry Myers and Gary were friends."

Nodding his head, Booth said, "Yes, we're sure."

Sighing, Tom started walking towards his barn, Booth and Brennan following behind. Walking across the dusty yard towards the barn, Tom looked back to make sure that he was being followed. He wanted to get this over as quickly as possible.

Walking into the barn, Tom, Booth and Brennan found Jerry Myers, sitting on a bench, working on some straps.

Stopping next to Jerry, Tom said, "Jerry, this is Special Agent Booth and his partner, Dr. Brennan. They want to talk to you."

Looking up from his straps, Jerry said, "You know, don't you?"

Nodding his head, Booth said, "Yes, we know. We just want to know why."

Shaking his head and looking down, Jerry said, "I got in over my head with my gambling problem. They were going to kill me if I didn't come up with the cash. They told me that if I helped them take a horse once in a while they would forgive my debt and give me a little something on the side. They wouldn't kill me. The first two horses were easy enough; but, the third horse was different. Gary was drunk and he was out in the pastures that night. I didn't know it. Me and Jax Beacon were out in the copse pasture and we had got Red Sun haltered. We were leading Red Sun down to a waiting horse trailer and Gary saw us. He came up and started to hit Jax. I grabbed him and we wrestled. We kept bumping Red Sun and he'd finally had enough and kicked out. He caught Gary's head with his hooves and killed Gary instantly. Gary didn't have a chance. The back of his head was crushed in. It was awful. I wanted to call 911; but, Jax said no. We couldn't explain what had happened and Gary was dead anyway."

Looking up at Booth, Jerry continued," We drug Gary up in to the patch of woods and then took the halter off of Red Sun and Jax drove away. I drove the 4X4 back here and tried to think about what I could do about Gary. I went back up and wrapped him in heavy plastic to keep any creatures from eating him. I waited a few days and I realized that I couldn't just leave Gary up there so I loaded his body on to the 4X4 and drove him over to Jeb Jenkins' place. I knew there would be an investigation. I just wanted enough time to get my affairs in order. I have, so I've just been waiting for you to come get me. I'll sign whatever you want. I confess. Gary was my friend. I treated him piss poor. I know that."

Looking at Tom Deblanc, Jerry said, "I just want you to know, Tom, that I'm sorry. I really am. Please tell Mrs. Stills that it was an accident."

Nodding, Tom turned around and walked away.

Looking at Tom leave, Booth leaned down and put his hand around Jerry's upper left arm. Pulling him up, Booth told Jerry his rights. Shaking her head, Brennan watched the proceedings. She knew she would never understand how someone could admit that they killed someone and in the next breath claim that they were friends. That made absolutely no sense to her.

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Angela thought it over and decided to confront Sweets in his office. During her lunch hour, Angela drove over to the Hoover building and went to Sweets' office. Seeing the door closed, Angela waited for Sweets to finish talking to who ever he had in his office. After about twenty minutes, the door opened and Agent Bonner walked out of the office. Smiling at Angela, Bonner continued to the outer door and left.

Getting up from her chair, Angela walked through the door way and said to Sweets, "You lied to me, Sweets. You shouldn't have done that."

Shaking his head, Sweets said, "What are you talking about, Angela?"

Grimacing, Angela said, "You put geckos into my car. You said you weren't going to get revenge for the mouse joke and then you put geckos in my car. What if I had Michael with me? What if I had been driving and then a gecko had jumped on me while Michael was in the car? Did you think about that?"

Confused, Sweets said, "Angela, I swear I don't know what you're talking about. Someone put geckos into your car? When did this happen?"

Shaking her head, Angela said, "Don't play dumb with me. You put geckos in my car yesterday afternoon. I had to work late so thank God, Jack had taken Michael home with him."

Sighing, Sweets said, "Angela, I was in Richmond yesterday afternoon. I didn't make it back until 9 p.m. last night. I was with Agent Bonner working on a case."

Frowning, Angela said, "I can check on that."

Smiling, Sweets said, "Go ahead. I didn't put geckos into your car yesterday afternoon. Let me ask you a question, Angela. Who else knows that you're afraid of geckos?"

Rubbing her right ear, Angela said, "My Dad, Roxie, two former boyfriends, you and Jack." Frowning, Angela said, "Just how did you find out that I'm afraid of geckos? That's not exactly something I advertise."

Puzzled, Sweets said, "Hodgins told me."

Squinting her eyes, Angela said, "A light is beginning to shine, Sweets. I think I know what's going on. You and I are the victims of Jack Hodgins and his weird sense of humor. That boy is about to find out that he shouldn't screw around with his wife." Looking at Sweets, Angela said, "You're going to help me me teach Jack a lesson, Sweets."

Shaking his head, Sweets said, "Maybe you should just let it go, Angela."

Smiling, Angela said, "No way. I'm going to make Jack see that messing with me can be just as bad as messing with my Dad."

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Still interested? Up next, revenge can be a double edged sword.


	13. Chapter 13

Thanks for reading my story. I appreciated the reviews.

I don't own Bones.

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Putting her plan in to action, the next afternoon, Angela walked into her husband's office and said, "Jack, I've just heard something terrible. I called over to the Hoover building to talk to Sweets and they said that he was in a traffic accident about an hour ago. Sweets lost control of his car and hit a telephone pole. They're not sure if he's going to make it. Oh Jack, I shouldn't have done it. I'm so sorry."

Seeing Angela start to cry, Jack walked over to Anglea and said, "Angela, what are you so sorry about? What did you do?"

Grabbing the front of Hodgins' lab coat and bending her head into his right shoulder, Angela said, "Oh Jack. I was so mad at Sweets. He put those geckos into my car and I wanted revenge. I didn't mean to hurt Sweets. Honest to God. I didn't mean for him to end up in the hospital. Oh what am I going to do, Jack?"

Starting to breathe hard, Hodgins put his arms around his wife and said, "My God, Ange, what did you do?"

With her head still against Hodgins shoulder, Angela said, " I only put one small mouse in Sweets car. I mean, he put a whole bunch of geckos in my car so I didn't see the harm in putting one mouse in his car."

Holding Angela tightly, Hodgins said, "Ange, Babe, I uh, I uh, Oh God, Ange, why? Why didn't you listen to me? I told you to let it go. Why didn't you let it go?"

Walking into Hodgins' office, Cam saw Angela crying and asked, "What's going on?"

Looking at Cam, Hodgins said, "Sweets is in the hospital. He was in a car wreck and he's in serious condition. Ange heard he might not make it."

Looking troubled, Cam said, "Oh my God." Turning around, she quickly left the office.

Realizing that she had a bigger audience than she had intended, Angela let go of Jack and called out, "Wait, Cam."

Seeing that Cam was already gone, Angela said, 'Jack, go stop her, you can't let her tell anyone else."

Frowning, Hodgins said, "What do you mean? What's going on?"

Trying to break free from Hodgins hold, Angela said, "Jack, let me go. I have to go tell Cam not to tell anyone. I made a mistake. I didn't mean to let anyone hear me when I told you that Sweets was in an accident." Pushing away, Angela said, "I'll explain it to you in a few minutes."

Letting her go, Hodgins watched Angela run out of his office and run towards Cam's office. Sitting down, Hodgins started to worry. "What the hell is going on?" Jack thought.

Running towards Cam's office, Angela did her best not to panic. Running into Cam's office, Angela found Cam's office to be empty. Trying to think of where Cam may be, Angela started to breathe hard. Starting to panic a little, Angela ran out of Cam's office and back to Hodgins' office.

Seeing Hodgins sitting on a stool staring at the doorway, Angela said, "Jack, you have to help me find Cam. I know it was you who put the geckos in my car. I just made up that story about Sweets to get back at you. Help me find Cam before she tells anyone else."

"Shit, Angela." Jack said, "I told you to let it go."

Shaking her head, Angela said, "Yell at me later, help me find Cam."

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Brennan was sitting on her couch in her office, drinking a cup of hot tea, when Angela ran into her office.

"Sweety, have you seen Cam?" Angela asked very anxiously.

Shaking her head, Breannan said, "No, I haven't. Why are"

Not listening further, Angela turned around and ran from Brennan's office.

Sighing, Brennan put her cup of tea down on the table in front of the couch and picked up her phone. Dialing Booth's number, Brennan heard him answer his phone.

"Booth."

Sighing again, Brennan said, "I really don't like this Booth. I think this is a bad idea."

Hearing concern in Brennan's voice, Booth said, "Come on Bones. You wanted it to stop. This is going to stop it."

"I told you we would end up in their mess," Brennan said.

Sighing, Booth said, "It will be all right, Bones. You'll see."

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Interested? Was this twisty enough? Up next, Angela finds out what happens when you don't let stuff go.


	14. Chapter 14

I want to thank you for reading my story and reviewing it. I hope you were entertained.

I don't own Bones.

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Hodgins and Angela looked all over the Lab trying to find Cam. They both tried to call Cam on her cell phone; but, they were directed to her voice mail every time they called.

Starting to panic, Hodgins caught up with Angela and said, "This is getting out of hand, where do you think she went?"

Shaking her head, Angela felt a little out of breath from running all over the building. Walking back to her office, Hodgins followed her.

Sitting on her couch, Angela said, "Ok, we need to tell someone else what's going on. We need to tell Brennan before Cam tells Booth. You know Booth really likes Sweets and treats him like a little brother. Booth will be so mad at us if Cam tell him that Sweets is in the hospital when he really isn't."

Sighing and looking at the ceiling, Hodgins said, "Shit, Angela. Booth will kill me. He'll just glare at you; but, sure as shit, he'll beat the hell out of me."

Shaking her head, Angela said, "Don't be ridiculous Hodgins. Booth will not hurt you."

Shaking his head, Hodgins said, "Don't kid yourself, Ange. Booth has a temper. I've seen him lose it too. I do not want to be the object of his anger. Let's go tell Dr. B now. Hell, we should have told her before now."

Nodding her head, Angela got up from her couch and said, "OK; but, let me tell her."

Giving Anglea a sick smile, Hodgins said, "No problem, Babe."

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Walking into Brennan's office, Angela and Hodgins saw that the office was empty. Brennan must have left while they were running around the Lab.

Taking her cell phone out of her pocket, Angela called Brennan. Unfortunately, her voice mail answered. Starting to freak out a little, Angela called Booth's number. Again, voicemail picked up. Desperate, Angela called, Sweets' number. Again, voice mail picked up.

Resigned, Angela said to Hodgins, "Everyone's number is going to voice mail. We can't talk to anyone about this."

Shaking his head, Hodgins said, "You don't supposed that they all went to the hospital to look for Sweets do you?"

Frowning, Angela said, "God, I hope not." Thinking about it, Angela said, "There isn't anything we can do about this now. What's going to happen is going to happen. I mean we can't actually go to the hospital to look for them. We don't know which hospital they would have gone to. Let's go to lunch at the diner."

Shaking his head, Hodgins said, "You're kidding me. You want to eat lunch?"

Shrugging he shoulders, Angela said, "I'm producing milk for your son. I need to eat. Let's go. We'll deal with this after lunch."

Sighing, Hodgins said, "Sure the condemned should always enjoy a good meal before their execution."

Smiling, Angela said, "Way to be positive, Jack."

Shaking his head, Hodgins said, "I am being positive. I'm positive I'm a dead man. If Booth doesn't kill me then Cam will. You couldn't let it go, could you?"

Shaking her head, Angela said, "You need to let it go, yourself."

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Entering the Royal Diner, Angela was the first to notice the group sitting in the back of the diner. Realizing that she was seeing Cam, with Booth sitting next to her, Angela hurried over to the table.

"Cam, thank God I found you," Angela said. Looking around the table, Angela saw, Brennan sitting across from Booth and Sweets sitting next to her.

Folding her arms across her chest, Angela said, "This was a con, wasn't it. Sweets got you to help play a joke on Hodgins and me, didn't he?"

Smiling, Booth said, "It was your idea, Angela. Sweets just wanted to expand on it a little. We're all hoping this is the end of this tit for tat mess you've got going on."

Smiling, Sweets said, "Yeah, I hope you want to stop this craziness. You were tat and now I'm tit. I hope that's it."

Guffawing, Booth looked at Sweets.

Realizing what he had said, Sweets blushed and said, "Wait I mis-spoke. I'm not a tit, er, uh, wait"

Putting her hand on Sweets arm, Brennan said, "Let it go Dr. Sweets. Just let it go.

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I hope you liked my story. I would appreciate you letting me know what you thought of my story. I know the crime wasn't much; but, I only wanted to use it to forward the story. It wasn't meant to be a mystery.


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